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Hurry Up and Wait

Many areas of Ohio turned dry towards the end of April and farmers were able to get their corn and soybeans into the ground at a good pace. In fact, the USDA projected that 42 percent of all corn and 14 percent of soybeans had been planted by April 30, 2017. Then…everything came to a screeching halt as frequent rainstorms have resulted in several inches of rain covering most of the state.

Ohio Fields Showing Signs of Phytophthora Root Rot

Over the last few days, many farmers in Ohio and eastern Indiana have noticed some patches or large areas that appear to be wilting, turning yellow or brown, and dying. Below are just a few photos of the symptoms we are seeing.

Ohio Field Observations: Fertilizer Burn

A large percentage of Ohio’s corn acres were put in the ground over the last few weeks. Since then, the warm temperatures have caused corn to emerge rather quickly, in approximately five days vs. the April planted corn which, in some cases, took up to three weeks! As our customers are out scouting their fields, several of them have noticed a reduced stand and wondering what the causes might have been...

Wheat Threats Due to Cold Weather in Ohio

The cool, wet weather we have been experiencing has lead to increased concern for various threats to our wheat crops. This article includes my updates on what I have been seeing in wheat fields across Ohio over the past few days.

Wheat Updates and What to Scout For

Was there any effect on the wheat crop as a result of the cold temperatures from last weekend? As I have been looking at wheat fields throughout Ohio this past week, I was worried the cold temperatures might have frozen some of the developing wheat heads. I was especially concerned for areas in southern Ohio where the wheat was further along.

The Potential Effects of Hard Frost on Wheat

Many areas of Ohio received record low temperatures on the morning of April 24. Temperatures dropped into the mid-20s in several areas of northern Ohio, while shattering previous lows by 5-7ºF in parts of central and southern Ohio (London for example). Many farmers may be wondering what (if any) effect will this have on their wheat crop. The extent of damage you may see will vary based on a few factors such as: the stage of growth of your wheat crop, the variety planted, maturity, planting date, planting depth, and temperature.

Green Stem of Soybeans

Every year there are some soybean fields where the stems stay green while the soybeans are mature and at the ideal moisture. Sometimes the leaves fall off the plant and sometimes they remain green and stay on. The one common symptom for most cases (except fungicides and genetics) is that there is not a heavy pod load on the plant. There are numerous factors that can cause a less than ideal pod load. In this article are just a few items that may contribute to green stem.

E. Indiana and Ohio: Continuous Soybean Management Considerations

There are some farmers who are considering growing more soybeans next year and may have some continuous soybean rotations. There are a few management considerations to think about as you make your seed purchases for next year.

Crop Observations - Increased Aphids and When to Plant Cover Crops

Crop Observation- Aphids
In the last few weeks there has been an increase in aphids in corn. Aphids have been everywhere on the plant including the leaves, leaf sheaths, and husks. The picture below shows an aphid population on a corn leaf.

Cover Crops
Harvest may be later this year than what it has been in the past few years. For this reason, you may be wondering about when or if to plant cover crops into corn. Most cover crops that overwinter need about five to six weeks of growth for winterhardiness.

Why is My Corn Tipping Back and Potassium Deficiency in Soybeans

Projections are for another bumper corn crop in Ohio and Indiana. Time will tell if we beat the average yield for both states of 177 Bu./A. from 2013. As I travel around both states, however, it is not difficult to find ears of corn and spots in the field where corn is tipping back. With such ideal conditions during pollination, many growers are wondering why this is happening. To understand this we may need to review a little about pollination.

Is It Too Late to Spray Fungicides on Corn for NCLB?

Most areas of Ohio and Indiana are in or have finished pollination. Some areas are past brown silk and are in the milk stage. Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB) continues to spread and can easily be found in many fields in Indiana and Ohio. Is it worthwhile to spray for this disease this late?

White Mold, Soybean Fungicides, and Pollination

White Mold
The last year we had a significant amount of white mold pressure was 2009. As you may (or may not) recall, 2009 was below average as far as temperatures were concerned. Highs were generally in the 70s and low 80s and lows were in the 50s and 60s during July. When we look at July 2014 so far, we are following a similar pattern.

Soybean Fungicides: Are they worth it?
We are approaching or are at the R3 stage of soybeans in many fields. The R3 stage is when there are pods developing on the lower nodes (there still will be flowers on the upper nodes as the stages in soybeans overlap). As a general rule, most fungicides are recommended at the R3 stage of growth. The question is, are they worth it?

Checking for Successful Pollination
Many areas are just beginning pollination while many other areas are completing pollination. How successful has pollination been this year? An easy way to determine is to do the shake test.

Corn Disease Update, Yellow Soybeans, and Good Wheat Yields

Corn Disease Update
Last week we reported that Gray Leaf Spot was being found in many corn fields. This week there is Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB) moving into some areas, especially those areas that had a rain early last week.

Cold Temperatures
The next few days are forecast to be well below average for temperatures. Usually this time of year we are talking about heat and drought and its effect on pollination.

Soybean Update
Although soybeans appear to be improving, there are still some areas where soybeans are staying yellow. Most of this yellowing has to do with water tolerance.

Wheat Yields
Most growers in our area have harvested wheat this year and many were surprised by how good the yields were. With the colder than normal winter and warmer than normal temperatures during grain fill, why were the yields so good?

In the past week I have started to see some corn leaf diseases, specifically Gray leaf spot (GLS), in many corn fields. The GLS has been seen in both both corn/corn on corn after soybean rotations. The picture below was taken from a field that was corn after soybeans and was not pollinating yet. As you can see there was plenty of disease on this leaf.

With all the rain we have received in certain areas there have been several farmers who have not had the opportunity to apply their post emerge herbicides. Many fields have giant ragweed and marestail escapes. Let’s talk about options for each.

During the past there has been much discussion and research regarding the ideal planting depth for corn. Surprisingly, there has been relatively little research done on the ideal planting depth for soybeans. If you do a web search for ideal planting depth of soybeans the results will vary from as shallow as ¾” deep to <2.5” deep. That is quite a range!

In the past week there have been reports of fields having plants that are dying. The plants below are a good example of what is being seen. The symptoms range from plants not growing or appearing to shrink since surrounding plants are growing, to the whorl of the plant being yellow or brown, and the lowest leaves being a dark green; to totally dead plants.

E. Indiana and Ohio: Sidedressing and Nitrogen Rates in Corn

Do I use a nitrification inhibitor while sidedressing corn?
Many growers are or will be sidedressing corn shortly. One question we often get this time of year is, “Do I use a nitrification inhibitor?”

What is the optimum nitrogen rate in corn?
Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR)® has been conducting nitrogen (N) rate studies for the past five years. Over this period they have found that the Economic Optimum Nitrogen Rate is about 178 lbs./A. for corn after soybeans and 212 lbs./A. for corn after corn.

E. Indiana and Ohio: Soybean Health and Population

Why do my soybeans look like they are dying? This week we have had numerous reports throughout Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky regarding soybeans that are not looking as healthy as we like. The majority of soybeans have the outside of the cotyledons that look brown as well as the hypocotyl, especially when in the neck stage. This appears to be happening to all varieties from all companies, so it is not product specific.

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